This
tiny otter cub has won the hearts of wildlife carers at Secret World
Wildlife Rescue near Burnham-On-Sea this week.

Hidden
in reeds, the young cub had been calling for its mother when it
was reported to the widlife charity, but its calls were becoming
weaker.

Being
only too aware of the bitterly cold weather and how long the cub
had been calling, Laura Benfield, Head of Animal Care at Secret
World, pictured, went with animal carer Sarah Tingvoll to
assess the situation and rescue her if necessary.

The
cub was very feisty when she was rescued with nets but soon became
very weak and tired after being left for so long.

Amore,
as she has been named, has recovered well and is being cared for
by Laura, building up the necessary trust for a young animal to
feed and feel safe.

"She
is so beautiful that it is easy to give her the love that she needs,"
says Laura, pictured.

"But
we will need to find company for her soon because it is important,
once she is weaned, that we stop all human contact."

She
added that otter cubs are among the most expensive orphans that
Secret World Wildlife Rescue, based in East Huntspill, cares for.

They
need to be held until they are 12 to 18 months old before they are
old enough to be independent of their mother as they would be in
the wild.

A diet
of trout, minced beef and dead chicks for these juveniles costs
£240 a month with the added cost of fresh water for the pools
on top.

If
you would like to help raise Amore and see how she progresses through
her rehabilitation, why not adopt an otter today? See here
- over 5,000 wildlife casualties are rescued by Secret World every
year across the Burnham-On-Sea area from Highbridge and Brean to
Brent Knoll and Lympsham.

Pictured:
Amore in the care of Secret World Wildlife Rescue near Burnham

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